4 players who will have a strong say on the outcome of Oklahoma vs. Auburn

The spotlight in the Oklahoma-Auburn game on Saturday will clearly be on the two quarterbacks. The game is largely in their hands on virtually every single offensive play.

There are storylines aplenty about both Oklahoma quarterback and newcomer John Mateer, who some say may be even better than advertised, and Auburn quarterback and former Sooner Jackson Arnold, who has two years over Mateer in playing games before the Sooner faithful at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. And both signal callers will for sure have an impact on who wins on Saturday.

Football may be the ultimate team game that takes everybody doing their job in order to come out on the winning side, but we also know there are always going to be certain individuals who stand out above all the rest in the heat of the battle.

We've singled out four players, two from each side, that when the dust finally settles from Saturday's SEC showdown, will have a great deal to say about who wins the game.

Auburn junior RB Jeremiah Cobb

Jeremiah Cobb has two 100-yard rushing games to his credit in Auburn's first three games and is averaging 6.3 yards every time he carries the ball.

Oklahoma was able to shut down Temple's run game, but the Sooners were vulnerable against the run against Illinois State and Michigan. The Sooners gave up 146 yards on the ground to Michigan, and Auburn is better attacking with the run game this season than Michigan.

Cobb ranks second in the SEC in rushing, and he is one of two solid running backs, along with Arnold, who are highly proficient in pounding the rock.

Oklahoma freshman RB Tory Blaylock

If the Sooners are going to beat Auburn on Saturday, it is imperative that they run the ball effectively. Otherwise the Auburn defense is going to pin its ears back and come after Mateer with everything they've got.

Prior to the season, the Sooners thought the main man in the running back room would be Jaydn Ott, but the highly touted Cal transfer has been a huge flameout in the first three games. Blaylock, a true freshman, on the other hand, has seized the RB1 spot and shown true grit and a lot of natural ability. The problem is, he hurt his shoulder in the opening game and, although he never went on the injured list, he may not be operating at 100% right now. The Sooners are going to need his run production against a stout Auburn front seven.

Auburn junior DE Keldric Faulk

The 6-foot-6, 285-pound defensive end is a true game wrecker who wreaks havoc on opposing quarterbacks. He most likely will be going against Sooner freshman left tackle Michael Fasusi for a good part of the game.

With both size and quickness, Faulk is a tall order (literally and figuratively) for any offensive lineman. The 2025 Preseason All-SEC First-Team selection had seven sacks last season and has one to his credit so far this season. The Sooners are going to need to know where he's at at all times when they are in possession of the ball.

Oklahoma senior DE R Mason Thomas

R Mason Thomas is to Oklahoma what Keldric Faulk is to Auburn. The problem is, Thomas must sit out the first half of the Auburn game after being penalized for targeting in the second half in OU's win over Temple last week. This is a big loss for the Sooners.

Thomas is a major playmaker and leader of the OU defense that leads the SEC in six statistical categories. The second-team All-SEC preseason selection will not be a factor in the first half on Saturday, but you can expect he will be like a caged animal with plenty of vim and vigor when he takes the field to begin the second half. The Sooner defense should be able to feed off that energy.

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